I’m beginning to get a sense of why those who are in probation begin to disappear from Facebook and the blogosphere. It’s not that I’ve been especially busy but it’s amazing how many things there are to eat into your time. I know it’s only been three weeks since the start of my probationary period, but when you begin forward-planning, a quarter of a year just seems to ‘disappear’ and you begin to worry about needing a diary with bigger pages to make reminder notes in. I recently asked a fellow probationer how they filled their day. I should just have been patient.

Friday brings the first of four probationers’ conferences and it will be good to catch up with people. But I then have the ‘real’ work of a week and a half of pastoral cover while my supervisor enjoys a holiday. The first funeral is already in for later in the week.

I’m very glad of having been allowed the luxury of a gentle start. It’s an opportunity just to catch the ‘rhythm’ of a place for the first few Sundays and to get to know those first contacts. That easy exposure helps to be able to stand back a little and get a sense of where everything fits together without getting overwhelmed by the details. But the details are now arriving and time is definitely beginning to fly.

Except when I look forward to getting paid. That, for some reason, always seems to be a long way away.

I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that last bit. At the moment it’s just the two and, apart from the delay in arranging them because of formal processes, they should be straightforward. Plus I don’t have too many other duties just yet. The support is very much appreciated though.